• Home
• News
• Features
• Reviews
• TV
• Photos
• Win
• Blog
• Magazine
• Merch
• Festivals

Matthew Leone - His First Interview Since Being Attacked

Madina Lake bassist lifts the lid on his last few months of life and talks about everything from temporarily dying in surgery to hope for the future

Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone, still recovering from the vicious attack that left him fighting for his life, has given his long awaited first interview to the thoroughly decent people over at Alternative Press. We've cherry picked a few quotes from the piece below but we suggest you click here to read everything he said to AP.

A perfect compliment to the piece can be found by clicking here to read Nathan's recollection of the events that drastically changed everything for the band and the brothers this year.

The surgeries went well?
"Yes. During the first one, they lost me one time. I flatlined. But they did incredible. The second surgery was supposed to be 45 minutes and ended up being more than four hours. They lost me a couple times on that one, but the surgeons obviously saved my life. I’m eternally grateful to them. I have a paralyzed upper third of my forehead that looks hilarious, but overall, everything went well."

How is the recovery coming along?
"The second surgery was the one that was almost too difficult of a challenge to handle. It was just a lot of pain and some metaphysical experiences I’m still trying to come to terms with. But the general recovery took a long time. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the reaction from the musical community and everyone sending good vibrations my way was one of the reasons I was able to recover so quickly. I got a lot of e-mails, letters and videos that kids put up on YouTube that were statements to me. That really kept me positive and humbled. I’m a guy who doesn’t like a lot of attention, so it was sort of embarrassing to have this spotlight on me—especially for getting my ass kicked. [Laughs.]"

Have you had any contact with Justin Pivec?
"No, he’s requested to talk to us a few times. But to me, he’s a nothing. He’s a wife-beater we got off the streets. If you focus your energy on that, it’s gonna consume you in a bad way. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothes who needs to be behind bars (Pivec was charged with Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Harm and Aggravated Battery in a Public Place —ed.). That couple has two kids—they had just had them. People say to me, “That’s so sad for the kids that their father went to jail.” I don’t know their histories, but I would assume maybe he grew up seeing his father beat his mother. So his kids would have grown up seeing their father beat their mother and the cycle would perpetuate. To me, this was the best thing that could happen, even though it’s in a painful way. It illustrates to these kids that it’s not okay to do that. Nathan and I lost our mother in a car accident when we were 12, and she was just the most amazing, beautiful spirit I’ve ever seen on the planet. We have three older sisters. Women are just absolutely marvelous, beautiful creatures and in no way, shape or form can it be tolerated that they’re treated like that. So I’m just grateful that stopped."

To read more.